Apple's 2024 iPad & iPhone chip plan has been detailed in a new leak
A low-profile leaker with a very good track record has spelled out what they believe to be Apple's entire iPad chip plan and what chips they expect to see in the iPhone 16.
Using iPad Pro and Apple Pencil
The data spans multiple posts and products. Detailed in one post are the code names for the iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
To not expose the leaker who has a very short follow list and has protected posts, we've taken the text directly out of their posts. The first column is the chip identifier, and the third number associated with each device is the internal codenames, which, in some cases, we've seen before.
iPad
- t8101 0x18 j381ap
- t8101 0x1A j382ap
The t8101 processor is the A14 Bionic, first released in September 2020. The leaker does not call these identifiers the 11th-generation iPad, so it's unclear what this is.
It's unclear why Apple would release an 11th generation iPad with A14 again, given that the last refresh with the iPad Pro-style redesign already sports that processor.
An internals refresh of the ninth-generation model that retains Touch ID with the A14 is possible, but seems unlikely. It's possible that the main client for this iPad remaining, education, is demanding it.
2024 iPad mini
- t8130 0x08 j410ap
- t8130 0x0A j411ap
Apple's t8130 is the A17 chip. This is a notable update from the A15 in the existing model.
2024 iPad Air
- t8112 0x10 j507ap
- t8112 0x12 j508ap
- t8112 0x14 j537ap
- t8112 0x16 j538ap
The T8112 processor is the M2 chip that is presently found in the iPad Pro series.
OLED iPad Pro
- t8132 0x08 j717ap
- t8132 0x0A j718ap
- t8132 0x0C j720ap
- t8132 0x0E j721ap
The T8132 is likely the M3 for iPad, as has been rumored for some time.
A second post summarizes what they expect from the iPhone 16 family of devices. As it has been for a few years, they expect four models.
iPhone 16 lineup
- t8140 0x08 d47ap
- t8140 0x0A d48ap
- t8140 0x0C d93ap
- t8140 0x0E d94ap
The T8140 processor is unknown, but is presumably the A18 chip expected this year. If the report is correct, that means that Apple's flagships will all get the same processor again, despite what Apple has done for the last few releases. A report by MacRumors on Friday says that the leaker told them that the Pro models would get the fully-functional chip, while the non-pro models would get binned versions with fewer CPU or performance cores.
The iPad Pro and iPad Air refreshes are expected in March at some point, in an event, or by press release. The iPhone 16 is obviously expected in the fall of 2024.
The iPad mini timetable is less certain. Some rumors peg it for the spring, while others place it in the fall.
As far as it pertains to the accuracy of the leaker, they went quiet and secure after they published something notable years ago. Since then, they've accurately been posting build numbers of betas hours and sometimes days before release.
Rumor Score: Likely
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
More than yet another unnecessarily faster processor in a tablet that has been overpowered for years, Apple needs to make iPad OS newly compelling. I feel like Apple keeps nibbling at the edges with the iPad OS, turning something outright kludgy into something somewhat less kludgy. (I'm looking at you, Stage Manager.) But until Apple makes what iPad can do seem exciting again, sales growth will continue to be in a slump.
And look, I get it--iPad is still, by bar, the best tablet out there. Apple continues to own the profits in the tablet market. But if Apple wants to continue to be recognized by investors as a growth company, then it needs to keep growing. Right now, only its current product lines can carry that growth burden. Apple Car is dead. And mainstream Vision Pro success, IF that were to happen, is still at least a few (and probably more) years away. Maybe Apple will surprise us with a revitalized iPad OS at this year's WWDC.
I expect that Apple’s silicon choices are guided by unit economics and to provide a broad base of adoption for upcoming services. This may mean that all devices will have a healthy uplift in Neural engine capacity and GPU capacity as a priority. Further it seems that Apples confidence in TMSC process capability is increasing and thus the AS chip may be less of a device category differentiator.
I can see Apple also ensuring that more devices can do spatial video, so any AS oomph needed to power that will be widely deployed.
I agree with some other posts saying that upgraded AS is not a selling point for most people. However the services that are then possible will be a selling point for new devices.
I’m running the base M2 Pro Mac mini and I don’t see any reason to even go up to a base M3 Max Mac Studio this year. I see the M4 series or even the M5 series as worth waiting for to get a real leap in performance because of the expanded neural engine for super duper AI stuff coming in iOS 18/19 and iPad OS 18/19.
I see late 2025-2026 as the time to pull the trigger on upgrades not this year.
The enhanced GPU capabilities (mesh shading, etc.) in A17/M3, for example, will move the needle — I think you’ll start seeing it in the system requirements, the software/service will still run without it, but for the full experience, you need A17/M3.
An iPP13 with M3 16GB 2TB is going to have at least 4x or more of everything. Hopefully Stage Manager will be expanded to have 16 windows per Stage, or have outright unlimited windows.
I recently picked up the most current iPad Pro 12.9. I expect it to do what I need it to do for the next few years at least. I might be convinced to trade it in for a new model, but OLED isn't compelling for me.